The Different Meanings of The Word Love
by HeroineCruor
Summary: Gaara meditates of what he had learned of the meaning of love. My first fanfic ever. Not on this site, though.


Gaara was standing on the countryside of Konoha.

Whenever he stood here, on a place like this, he could let his mind go far away to his own world, where no one existed but him. He could start to think about anything. Even...

The redhead touched himself with two fingers on the left side of the forehead. The kanji. LOVE. Though he has learned a lot from people about love, he still didn't quite understand the meaning of it. He knew only one thing; it is strong. So strong it can never tear people apart, a strong feeling for one another. It was as strong as the hardest material on Earth. He didn't know what that material was, but he knew that it had to be REALLY strong.

The first person who taught him about this was the uncle who betrayed him, Yashamaru, who said it could cure a sad spirit who felt lonely. It was the only thing he wanted to keep the pain in his heart away, but later on Yashamaru killed himself by causing an explosion, while trying to kill Gaara as well, making it homicide and suicide in one go. The homicide failed, but the suicide succeeded. Gaara didn't die because of the sand protecting him. Though the traitor had died, he didn't feel better. It only made the pain in his heart even worse, and made him interpret "love" wrong. He had thought the love was to love oneself, not other people. Naruto had, later on in the Chuunin Exams, taught him that important people can make anyone stronger and less lonely. From that day on, Sabaku no Gaara's life had changed completely.

Gaara started to caress his kanji gently with his two fingers. He still had flashbacks from his past, but nowadays he thought about it calmly. He didn't get all panicked and insane any longer just from thinking about it. He guessed it was because he knew he had won. He had finally won. And it was because of Uzumaki Naruto. He was forever grateful to that blond, joyful Kyuubi kid.

His siblings, mostly Temari, had taught him there were many kinds of love: Platonic love, love for friends, love for a place and love between lovers were some of the kinds. He hadn't known that there were so many, so he had been pretty surprised. Temari has tried her best to explain, but he still hasn't known exactly. By her explanation platonic love was between people in a family; parents, siblings, cousins and other. It was a kind of love that held the family together, held it strong, to never tear it apart. While Temari was saying this she had paused for a minute and had looked down at the ground. Gaara then had watched her from the corner of his eye. Her expression had been weird, and he didn't understand it. He then had realized he was her younger brother, and she had been thinking about that. He slowly had started to walk away from her, saying: "Thank you, sister", in a soft tone. He felt her eyes on his back while he walked away. He knew she hadn't expected that.

Love for friends was mostly like the platonic love. The difference was that it was between friends, not family members. He could almost feel that friendly love to the people in Suna and Konoha. He also could feel that for Naruto. What he meant by that was that he is like a brother to him, a brother who had gone through the same pain as him; having monsters inside of them, and being treated like them. Gaara's monster, Shukaku, had been removed by the Akatsuki when they had kidnapped him. But that didn't mean he stopped understanding Naruto. No wonder he really liked him. But it was just a feeling. He didn't know if it was friendly love, but probably it was.

Love for a place was the kind he understood the most. He loved his village from the bottom of the heart and wouldn't let anyone harm it. He even risked his life to protect it when that Akatsuki member, Deidara, tried to destroy it while fighting him. Gaara even gotten kidnapped as a result. He had used the last of his chakra to protect the village with his sand when Deidara had thrown a bomb that would have hit and destroyed the village. The people had accepted him, and started to even like their Kazekage. Though he was a rather creepy person, everyone knew he had a soft side. That had made him feel better. He could also feel that love for Konoha, but that's another story.

Love between lovers was the kind of love he barely understood. Temari had said it was a bit different. It's another kind of love. You still feel a strong feeling to another person, but you also loved that person in an erotic way. That love was described as more actions to the other as embracing, holding hands, making love. Temari said that a crush could include in this kind of love, but it wasn't real. It was just temporarily, as she said. It couldn't last long, and it could mean you can get tired of that person after a while. Temari said that was the kind his fangirls in his village, including Matsuri and Sari, felt towards him. Temari said they were no good for him. He should choose someone he truly loved. Gaara didn't care about them though. He let them enjoy their little imagination that he might like them as well.

With the real love, it was completely the opposite. It could last forever, and you never get tired of that person, because that person would have their true love on the mind all the time. Temari had said that there might be someone she liked in that way. Gaara didn't wonder. It was the Nara Shikamaru boy. He had noticed their strange looks and connections to one another, alright. But he didn't mind. He had a strange feeling that he wanted his big sister to be happy, and hoped that she would get him someday. Gaara, however, knew he was born to be single for the rest of his life. He wasn't interested in that kind of love. But you never know. Maybe he will find someone...

A little leaf fell down on his head. He took it in his hand, watched it thoughtfully and then shut his fist around the little leaf carefully. No matter how long it took, however many months or years, he had a feeling he would receive love, no matter what kind of love it was.

"Gaara! You finished your Kazekage duties here hours ago, and Temari and I are done here too! We're heading back now!" Gaara heard Kankuro shout to him. He turned around, seeing his two siblings ready to leave, waiting for him. Though he was the Kazekage, they would always treat him as their little brother. He opened the fist, looking at the leaf in his hand for a few seconds, before throwing it away, watching it fly away in the sweet Konoha breeze. He then walked over to his siblings and they started to walk.

On the way home, Temari and Kankuro where conversing, but Gaara was only listening to what they said with half an ear.

"C'mon, Temari, tell me...who's the lucky guy you like?" Kankuro asked, pushing her playfully in her side. He knew who it was, but he just wanted to hear her say it.

"I won't tell you." she replied, blushing faintly.

"Aww, c'mon, I wanna know", he asked, whining.

"Okay, I'll tell you..."

"Yes! Who is he then?" Kankuro said cheerfully.

"...but only if you take all of my paperwork tomorrow." Temari said, smirking teasingly at him.

"Dammit! Gaara, help me!" he said to Gaara playfully.

Gaara answered with a warm smile. Both Temari and Kankuro stiffened up in surprise, not used to their little brother smiling that kindly. And they saw in his aqua colored eyes that he was really peaceful and happy.

Gaara walked forward then, while his two siblings stood rooted to the same spot, still surprised.

Gaara was no longer worried about love. He knew he had already received it. 


End file.
